Lightswitch
by nonethericher
Summary: Sylar reconnects and bonds with a familiar face, resulting in an unlikely partnership. AU, TWT, Darkfic, Ship, Slash, Whump, BDSM, Kink, Squick, Bonding READ AND REVIEW!
1. Make You or Break You

Prologue

Sylar gazed upon the mirror image of himself, cocking his head to the left, his bottom lip quivering. His reflection's eyes blinked back from behind thick, black rimmed glasses, its hair parted over trimmed sideburns. Sylar raised his hands to his face, feeling the concave of his skull where his brown eyes lay staring. He ran his fingers over his eyebrows, let his fingertips trace a fan of lashes, but did not find glasses perched firmly on his own nose.

"A trick?" Sylar asked himself.

His reflection smiled shyly, fumbled nervously with the watch fastened around its wrist. "I don't think so," said the image, averting its eyes from Sylar's.

"I don't understand," said Sylar. "Are you… me?"

"I'm Gabriel," the mirror said, his eyes sad as he looked at his tangible counterpart. "We are not the same."

Sylar moved his head back and forth, looked as Gabriel stood still, watching passively. Then, Sylar raised one curled index finger to his own porcelain cheek, trailing it in the air above his skin, splitting the muscle as blood emerged from the wound that lay open like two parted lips. Gabriel, frightened, grasped his own cheek with both hands as crimson, hot liquid escaped through the cracks between his fingers. The red lips on Sylar's face pulled and stretched toward each other, ropes of muscle stitching itself until there was nothing but blood dribbling from his jaw bone. Gabriel's face continued bleeding from the fresh cut, his mouth in a surprised 'O' and his eyebrows furrowed in hurt.

"Huh," Sylar scoffed, tilting his head to one side. "I wonder how this works."

And with a stunted sigh, Gabriel looked up, and, grimacing, breathed the words: "Me too."

Sylar decides to visit an old friend. Gabriel fearfully and unwillingly tags along. OTP, TWT, Pre-slash, Bonding

Chapter 1: Make You or Break You

"Where are you going?" Gabriel asked timidly, peering from the mirror, pulling at the green cuff of his sleeve, running his fingers round and round the silver fastening.

Sylar's gray sweats dropped to his ankles and he pulled the pant legs over his black converses. Gabriel closed his eyes, focused on the images surfacing in his mind; clocks swirling, overlapping, ticking and hands in constant motion.

"Visiting an old friend," Sylar said, pausing, contemplating the information he should keep to himself. "Doctor Suresh."

"Chandra?" Gabriel opened his eyes, saw that Sylar had yet to dress himself, and closed them quickly.

Sylar smiled, a chuckle rising in his throat and escaping through his lips as he grabbed a pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt, both black and ironed smooth. "Mohinder," Sylar replied as he stretched his long legs into the confines of the ebony fabric, then pulled the shirt over his head, his long bangs coming undone and hanging in wisps before his eyes.

"You're getting rid of me," Gabriel said flatly, rubbing the closed wound on his cheek, his eyes growing darker with sadness.

"You thought I wouldn't?" Sylar smiled again.

"Why don't you kill me? You know you can."

"Because… I'm…"

"Curious," Gabriel finished, sighing.

"You know me so well," Sylar sneered sarcastically.

Gabriel trudged to the reflection of the couch, sat down and put his head in his hands. Sylar watched his former self, feeling the hurt in Gabriel's heart, felt Gabriel's tears rising in his own eyes. Gasping, Sylar rubbed his face.

"Be back soon," he said, trying to push evil between his teeth, yet sounding guilty all the same.

In the car, Sylar eyed the rearview mirror.

"What are you doing?"

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "I didn't want to come. I don't have a choice, it seems."

Sylar rolled his eyes. Gabriel looked at his hands folded neatly in his lap. His thumbs moved in circular motions at the air. A whisper escaped from between his parted lips.

"What was that?" Sylar asked, his heart beating faster, that sinking feeling of dread emanating from Gabriel and piercing his heart.

"I was practicing," Gabriel said softly.

"Practicing what?"

"Begging for my life."

Sylar shifted in his seat, turned the key in the ignition.

"Don't worry," Sylar assured him, surprised at his own words. "I know how you feel."

Sylar pulled up to an apartment building, parallel parked near the sidewalk, and opened his door to feed coins to the parking meter.

"Why did you do that," Gabriel asked from a reflection on the body of the black CUBE.

"I don't want to draw attention to myself," Sylar replied.

Gabriel nodded before disappearing as Sylar approached the brick building, using telekinesis to buzz the door open.

As he climbed the steps in the building, Sylar felt Gabriel's dread grow stronger, and his stomach began to tighten in an excruciating knot. His fingers curled around the hand rail and he gritted his teeth, his tongue going dry and sticking to the roof of his mouth.

"Gabriel," Sylar said, looking around for a reflective surface. Finding none, he continued to speak to the air. "Gabriel, I'm not going to hurt you. I really don't want you gone; I just want to know what you are and how you got here."

Sylar felt the snake of fear uncoil and the pain of terror subsided.

"Thank you," Sylar said, though the words were both his and Gabriel's.

At Mohinder's door, Sylar contemplated breaking in, but ultimately decided to knock. He put his finger over the peep hole when he heard movement from within, the quick shuffle of feet and thin papers crunch like autumn leaves as they were stuffed into drawers.

"One moment," called Mohinder's voice, flustered.

Then, the sound of hands clamoring for the latch and the subsequent groaning as the hinges swung the door open.

Sylar still had his finger in position over the invisible peep hole, and Mohinder's first reaction was to flinch and duck from the notoriously lethal digit. Sylar held both of his hands up in surrender, his palms gleaming with sweat. He raised his eyebrows and spoke.

"Hello, Mohinder."

"Sylar," Mohinder stated flatly. He moved from the door frame, inviting the killer in. "What do you want?" Mohinder snapped as he shut the door.

"I'm here to kill you, of course," Sylar said, teeth shining as his lips curled into a wicked smile.

Mohinder's eyes grew wide and he glanced around for a weapon, though futile, he knew.

Sylar felt a heartbeat of fear swell through his veins and his head swirled. "I'm… kidding…," Sylar said softly, and both Mohinder and Gabriel relaxed.

"Then what?" Mohinder demanded loudly, anger stitched into his furrowed brows.

"I…" Sylar began, reluctant to admit a weakness.

"You what?"

"I… need your help," Sylar said dejectedly.

Mohinder scoffed and leaned against his desk, folding his arms against his chest.

"What makes you think…," Mohinder began.

"I could make you," Sylar said simply.

Mohinder shifted his weight from one foot to the other and sighed.

"What do you need me to do?" Mohinder asked hesitantly.

"There's something… someone inside me," Sylar said slowly, pondering each word, tonguing them out as if he were pushing them through his teeth. Mohinder stared blankly, puzzled. "Do you remember who I was?"

"You mean Gabriel Gray?" Mohinder stated.

Sylar nodded slightly, ran his fingers along the back of a chair.

"I woke up and he was just… there," Sylar said, fighting for the words to explain.

"Where?" Mohinder asked, eyes widening.

"In my reflection."

"Is he here now?"

Sylar glanced around, but saw no mirror. He strolled to Mohinder's cabinet and took a large bowl from the shelf, ran water into it, and waited for the ripples to turn stagnant. Then, sighing, he peered in at himself, only to find Gabriel's patient face staring back unblinkingly, his cheeks pale and his eyes still burdened with worry.

"Yes, he's here." Sylar spoke, not removing his eyes from Gabriel's steady gaze.

Mohinder leaned over Sylar's shoulder and looked into his reflection.

"I don't see anyone but you," Mohinder said carefully.

Sylar shrugged Mohinder from his shoulder and turned around, leaning against the sink.

"I feel what he feels," Sylar whispered. "It's… crippling. The emotions are so strong I can hardly breathe." Sylar shifted.

Mohinder smirked at the sad serial killer, no pity lingering in his eyes. "You're bonded with a split conscience. He's just as real as you are, maybe even more so because he came first. Did you think Gabriel just disappeared when you became Sylar?"

"Sylar's lips sat in a small 'o,' contemplating Mohinder's words. "Why has he come back now? Why have I been free from him for so long and all of a sudden…?"

"You must have been lonely, to let him back in." Mohinder said matter-of-factly.

"How do you explain the fact that I can hurt myself and hurt him, but I heal and he doesn't?"

"Easily," Mohinder retorted quickly, as if he'd expected this. "Gabriel is a manifestation of yourself prior to gaining powers. His only ability is Intuitive Aptitude, the only ability that was really yours. He has no regenerative power, therefore is vulnerable."

Sylar thought a moment, and then spoke. "That explains his memory. I told him I was visiting Doctor Suresh, and he thought I meant Chandra. Gabriel has never met you until now. He doesn't even know I've killed your father."

Mohinder's face reddened with anger and Sylar felt Gabriel's sadness penetrate him. He clutched at his heart as if he could rip the emotions from his chest, but the pain didn't subside. A groan grumbled in Sylar's throat, and Mohinder smiled with satisfaction. Tears welled in Sylar's eyes, tears that were not his own.

"You have each other on strings," Mohinder marveled. "You can hurt him physically and he you emotionally. Amazing…"

"Yeah," Sylar scoffed, still struggling to stifle the torrents of pain emanating from Gabriel's heart.

"Gabriel," Mohinder addressed the phantom. "Keep him in line, eh?"

With that, Mohinder took Sylar's trembling shoulders and steered him to the door.

"If you have any more questions, feel free to _call_," Mohinder said sarcastically as he opened the door and shoved Sylar out.

Once alone in his apartment, Mohinder picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. The line picked up.

"Noah, it's Mohinder," he said excitedly. "I have good news…"


	2. Bird on a Wire

Sylar and Gabriel try something new, but a surprise visit leads to a frightening chain of events. AU, TWT, Bonding, Pre-Slash, Whump, Lime, Darkfic – READ AND REVIEW!

Chapter 2: Bird on a Wire

Sylar paced his apartment, his large hands stuffed into the back pockets of his pants. His eyes studied the floor as if it were a map dictating his every move. He had bought a set of mirrors and hung them on one wall so that the entire apartment reflected in them. Now that Gabriel had access to the home, he leaned against the fridge, arms crossed, watching Sylar prowl the living space like a tiger in a cage.

"Stop staring at me," Sylar stopped in front of the mirror.

"You killed Chandra Suresh," Gabriel said, emotion infiltrating his voice.

"I didn't have a choice," Sylar replied.

"You _always_ have a choice," Gabriel snapped.

"I got rid of my options when I got rid of you," Sylar said coldly, eyeing Gabriel with malice. "You are no one."

Gabriel looked down and squirmed, and Sylar felt his heart throb with a knife slice of embarrassment. He immediately felt guilty.

"I got you something," Sylar said, pulling a watch from his front pants pocket and setting it on the table. Gabriel crossed the mirror-room and picked up the watch in his dimension. He held it to his ear and smiled fondly, the fear dissipating.

"Three seconds slow," they said in unison. Sylar couldn't help but grin.

Gabriel stepped up to the mirror and placed his hand on the surface. Sylar could see where his hand was pressed against the glass as if Gabriel weren't a reflection, but on the other side of a window, peering in at Sylar's life.

"What if you could exist," Sylar said aloud, more to himself than to Gabriel. "What if we could both exist outside…?"

Gabriel pursed his mouth contemplatively as Sylar looked from Gabriel's hand to his eyes. "For so long I've needed someone to relate to, someone to tangible to touch… and play with. What if I… what if _we_ figured out a way to make it possible?" Sylar lifted his own hand to the mirror and pressed it against Gabriel's. All his fingers felt was the stinging coldness of the glass cutting into his nerves, but within him a longing surfaced that was all his own. Gabriel nodded, understanding what Sylar wanted from him. Sylar felt it, too, though for the first time he felt shame for his thoughts, the tingling in his inner thigh, and the blood that heated him up and made his stomach warm.

"We've been looking at this situation all wrong," Gabriel realized. "This isn't a mirror, it's a cage, and every cage has an entry…"

"… and an exit," Sylar finished.

Gabriel let his hand fall to his side.

"We have to make sure we're right I'm a second conscience. It only makes sense that we could trade places. Two minds and one body… but as long as you're awake, you're in control. That's my hypothesis," Gabriel stated scientifically.

"We'll need a syringe," Sylar replied.

. . .

Sitting on his sofa, Sylar held his left arm out and applied a tourniquet, pulling the rubber strap tight with his teeth. Gripping his hand, he tapped his vein, watching it rise like the hair on a cat's back, pulsing with blood, and took the syringe he had balanced on his knee.

"This is a tranquilizer. It should take effect immediately," Sylar informed Gabriel. "I'll be unconscious. From there you'll have to find a way to slip in and push me out. Judging from your manipulation of my emotions, you'll find the key to getting in through my heart."

Gabriel nodded, fumbling with his hands nervously as Sylar slowly pushed the needle in. Gabriel winced in pain and held his right arm as a dot of blood bubbled up, then watched worriedly as Sylar pulled the syringe out and dropped it in the floor. His throat began to tighten and he lay down slowly. His eyes fluttered, and a choking sound came from his mouth, then stillness crept over him and he lay there, steeping in the blackness of his mind.

Gabriel stood staring at the sleeping Sylar, afraid of venturing further and unaware of how to do so. He pressed his hand against the glass and it slipped through, though his 'other side' image was a ghostly one as if he were a hologram. He stepped completely into Sylar's dimension, feeling the pain of static pricking his every cell as if he were in a sea of pins and needles, swimming for his life. He felt himself falter, every pore of his being screaming. Quickly he stuck his hand inside Sylar's chest and slipped inside his body, an ocean of warmth heavy with flesh and blood. He felt the contours of the couch settle in the curve of his back, curled his fingers into the fabric and took a deep breath as his eyes began to open. He sat up slowly, head buzzing, and hesitantly turned to face the mirror. Sylar was there, sitting cross-legged in front of the dimension window, eyes interested.

Gabriel smiled excitedly. "It worked!" He felt of his chest, of his eyes, and ran his index finger over his full lips.

"You still look like me," Sylar observed from the window. "I kept a pair of your glasses if you'd prefer those to contacts."

Gabriel nodded and stood, stretching his long legs. "Where are they?"

As Sylar began to open his mouth, a group of men crashed through the door. Gabriel, still clumsy from the body switch, stumbled in shock as the masked men, clad in black and carrying tranquilizers and tasers, wired his hands and feet together. Noah Bennet stepped through the shattered door frame, his trademark smirk plastered across his face.

Sylar stood up in the mirror room, banging his hands against the window until his knuckles were raw and bleeding.

"Gabriel!" he screamed, his deep voice cracking in pain.

Gabriel had been detained, his face pushed against the carpet of the apartment so violently that his nose leaked blood.

"Hello, Sylar," Bennet sneered wickedly as he stepped forward and pulled Gabriel to his knees. Gabriel's eyes were unfocused and his head rolled around like a ragdoll's. His tongue lolled in his mouth as he tried to form words through the blood in his throat.

"I'm not…" Gabriel began, choking on blood and tears.

Noah kicked Gabriel in the stomach and he yelped in pain as a new torrent of crimson liquid erupted in his esophagus and spilled down his lips and chin.

Sylar cried in fear, dragging his fists down the window as Gabriel's terror slithered into his skin. Gabriel's knuckles were skinless from where Sylar had fought the wall between them.

"Not healing," Noah said to himself. He kicked Gabriel again, then clutched his shoulder and pushed him onto his back.

Gabriel had become complacent, no sound uttered from his lips.

"Look at me, Gabriel," Sylar said, love in his voice for the first time in a long time. "Whatever happens, keep looking at me. No, no! Stay awake, Gabriel! Gabriel!"

Gabriel's eyes rolled back in his head, then he was still, breathing labored as blood pooled in the back of his throat.

"Keep him on his stomach," Noah said as he kicked Gabriel's crumpled form over. "We don't want this one dying. It appears we've caught Sylar at a bad time," he remarked, looking around the room. Then the men picked up the unconscious Gabriel and carried him through the door, blood trailing behind…


End file.
